2013 Cannondale Flash Carbon 3 and Volvo V50

With some minor modifications to my new Cannondale F29 Flash Carbon 3 whatever-you-call-it, I've been riding that exclusively lately (my niner One9 has a BB issue I've yet to attend to, and my Trek Pilot road bike has a double flat I've lazily yet to change).

Bear bell optional (but good idea during hunting season)

I put an electric blue e13 35T chain ring on the front, with e13 chain guide, so running it as a 1x10 (11-36).  Combined with the red Elite cages I took off my red Stumpy, and set into the classic green-white-black Cannondale colors, this baby really pops (like a zit popping...seriously, the colors are gross, but I got the chain ring at cost and the cages were already mine so fugg it).

Nothing says "budget!" like mismatched component colors.

There are some hills that I've wish I has one smaller gear in the back, but then I figure I'd then want one even smaller gear...so instead I'm committed to getting my legs stronger.

I really like running a 1x10 - it's like having a singlespeed with gears (something perhaps only a single speeder could understand).  The new-style Lefty on the Flash definitely feels smoother than the old style Lefty I have on the One9.  Overall, the bike has taken some getting used to, and part of that is getting used to gears, but now that it feels good, it feels real good.

Speaking of hills, I decided that "hills and skills" would be my training mantra this winter. I'm committing to riding one session a week where I just find some technical bits of trail and get used to picking a line and blasting through.  It's definitely the main aspect of my riding that other guys I race against are better at.  I may even make my own killer rock garden from an old rock wall in the Weir Rd trails.

My Jeep GC finally rusted out (that's Cape living!) so I had to get a new-to-me bike carrier.  Got a great deal on an Volvo V50. Very quickly becoming my favorite car ever. Very fun, fast, comfy car.

My other new ride. So fun it's hard to resist not driving
 it on days I should be riding to work.

That's all folks, thanks for reading.